To Aichan on her 27th Birthday
by bluewind78
Summary: Some love are meant to last forever...
1. Chapter 1

Ikuta Erina yawned as she struggled to keep herself awake. Her grades have been slipping all throughout the semester, and she knew she had no choice but to buck up if she were allowed to continue her idol life in Morning Musume. She reached out for the photo-frame containing a picture of a cherished, happier memory: One she had taken with Niigaki Risa on the night when the older had just concluded her graduation ceremony from Morning Musume and Hello Project. Her face carved a small smile..to herself, recalling that bittersweet memory, until the sound of the doorbell ringing jolted her from her reverie.

"Haiiii!" Erina yelled as she raced down the stairs. Panting, she opened the door to find a smiling Michishige Sayumi and Mitsui Aika at her doorway, carrying paper-bags in their arms.

"Konbawa" the senpais greeted in sync.

"Mitsui-san!" Erina cried. "It's so good to see you after so long! We all missed you" Erina hugged her ex-senpai warmly. Breaking away from the hug, she turned towards and acknowledged Sayu.

"Leader!" Erina hugged the bunny. "How have you been? To be honest, I wasn't exactly expecting you to come especially when you've been having a busy schedule all throughout this week"

Sayu smiled sweetly, ruffling the kyuuki's hair "I just thought I'd drop by since I was in the neighbourhood. Plus, I'm a little worried about my little kouhai flunking some of her classes this semester"

"So you're here to check on me?" Erina bowed her head, embarrassed.

"She wouldn't be flunking THIS badly if only she had concentrated on her classes" For a moment, all three were surprised at the blunt comment. They turned to face the stairway where Niigaki Risa's cold eyes met them.

Risa gave the 8-ki and the current Musume leader a small smile. "Welcome back you two..If you'll excuse me, there's something I have to do outside. Help yourselves to the stuff in the fridge ok?"

"Haiii" Sayu replied tentatively, watching the back of her former leader disappear out of the front door. Sayumi glanced quickly, eyebrows furrowed towards Aika, who could only shrugged her shoulders in reply.

Risa took off her hair-band, letting the cool breeze on the beach blow her long tresses. Feeling liberated, she took off her sandals, lowering her feet in the warm warmth of summer was still very much alive, she thought, closing her eyes. She sat down on the log-chair which was a gift from an old friend.

"I see you're enjoying the last of bit of summer?" A familiar voice called out to her.

"Aichan..." Risa opened her mouth as she watched the lithe figure of Takahashi Ai approach her, aided by the dim moonlight. "You should stop surprising me like that"

Ai smiled, and for a moment, Risa swore she missed those dimples on the longest-serving ex-Musume leader's face. She couldnt recall exactly how long ago since she last saw them appear on Ai's face.

"I thought I was the one who hated surprises" Ai chuckled, taking the seat next to the bean on the long log-chair.

"Well, yeah.."Risa scratched her head. "But then again, you've forgotten how much I hated haunted houses. I wasn't that much different from you, Aichan"

"I haven't forgotten, Risa" Ai smiled sweetly, left hand stroking the bean's long hair. "I haven't forgotten everything about you...ESPECIALLY your reactions"

Risa burst into laughter. "You know..." her smile then vanished. "This was just what I needed, Aichan"

"Rough day?" Ai asked, looking at the bean with a concerned look on her face.

"Rough's an understatement" Risa looked down on the sand.

"Why don't you tell me about it?"

"You know what?" Risa suddenly changed the subject. "Maybe me and Eripon should take a vacation...I'm thinking of going to Hawaii after her finals are over..Remember the first time we went there, Aichan?"

Ai's eyes were still trained on her friend. "You were only 14 then"

"And you were 16, as I recalled" Risa looked up, gazing at the waves again. "But that was one of the most memorable trips we've ever been on"

"Yeah" Ai now joined her friend in gazing at the waves. "Probably because it was not only our first DVD as Musumes in Hawaii...it was also the first time we were both late when we overslept in our hotel room"

Risa laughed again, until tears started coming out of her eyes "Ahh...I wished we could turn back time and relive those days again, Aichan"

"So where did Gakisan went off too, Eripon? It's awfully late, ne" Aika asked her ex-kouhai.

"She's always out there on the beach at this time of the night, Mitsui-san" Eripon replied, helping to unload the paper-bags from the arms of her 2 senpais on to the kitchen counter. "I don't exactly know what she's doing there...I guess its that time of the day when she wants to be alone"

Sayu stared at Erina "And you never tried finding out? Was she always like this, Eripon?"

Erina swallowed a lump in her throat, hesitating to answer.

"What is it?" The bunny musume leader squeezed the younger's hand. "If it's bothering you, let me know"

"Leader..." before Erina could say another word, she was interrupted by Sayu's ringing cell-phone.

"Ohh, gimme a break" Sayu groaned, fishing out her phone from her pocket, and answering it. "Moshi-moshi..."

"WHAT? You can't make it?!" Sayu yelled, making Aika and Eripon flinched. "Why the hell are you telling me this now?" Sayu stood up and walked away from the kitchen towards the living room.

When she was finally done with the call, Sayu rejoined the other two at the kitchen, her face contorted in what appears to be a mixture of expressions of anger and frustration.

"Lemme guess... Tanaka-san?" Aika asked in her usual languid voice.

"Ever since she became that badass PUNK rocker, she couldnt even spare one day...ONE ###### DAY..to celebrate a friend's birthday" Sayu ranted, fuming mad. "I can't believe she can just bail out just like that!"

Aika leaned towards Erina, whispering to the younger. "I'm glad I way, I never had to bear the brunt of her poison tongue again"

"Ano..." Eripon said. "Why are you two here today,senpai?"

"You mean you forgot?" Aika asked.

"It's Aichan's birthday tomorrow, silly. That's why we're here to organize the surprise party" Aika slapped the kyuki on the shoulder. "Don't tell me you didn't remember"

Eripon looked down on the table again. "I don't know if we should celebrate Takahashi-san's birthday anymore".

Silence.

"And why not?" Sayu asked, this time, her tone is even, and carried even a hint of kindness at her kouhai.

"I mean..."Erina stuttered, trying to avoid the stare of her senpais. "It's been two years since Takahashi-san's boating accident. And..Niigaki-san...Niigaki-san" The kyuki's eyes were suddenly wet with tears.

"She hasn't been the same, hasn't she?" Sayu asked, tilting her kouhai's head and watching the tears fall freely. She knew now that she need not wait from an answer from the kyuki's mouth, grabbing Erina's back and hugging her Musume member tightly.

"We're here for you,Erina" the tears welled up in Sayu's eyes too. "We're here for you..."


	2. Chapter 2

_"Wooooo! What a RUSH!"_

_"Aichan, if you're not gonna come down from there, I'm gonna get Ikuta to drag your sorry ass back on the deck" Risa yelled at the ex-longest serving Musume leader._

_"Yada!" Ai retorted. "Not when I get to see the view from here..it beats the Zekkyo machine anytime!" the older yelled back, then gasped as she witnessed the setting sun in all its glory, still holding on to the top of the mast of the sailing yacht._

_Risa sighed, exasperation creeping into her tone as she continued helming the wheel of the yacht they have rented for the summer. "Eripon, can you PLEASE tell our stubborn leader to come down right now?"_

_Erina grinned, giving Risa the thumbs up "Takahashi-san" Eripon pleaded. "Come back down please...its not safe up there"_

_Ai was brought back to reality from Erina's voice "No can do, Ikuta! We have only this summer to be able to do this... Can you please tell your beloved subleader to stop being my mom and act more like the fun-loving girlfriend of mine whom I used to know, FOR ONCE"_

_"Makocchin?" Risa, always the sensible one...still with the wheel in her hands, turned towards her gokkie member._

_"Hey, don't look at me...as soon as its safe for me to get my hands off the rails, I would gladly come up to get her" replied Ogawa Makoto, shrugging her shoulders._

_"It's beautiful, Risa...if only you could see this...its...its so beautiful from up here". Risa looked up momentarily to see her girlfriend's hair being blown by the strong gusts of wind, but her face is the picture of serenity, calmness, and at peace with herself._

_As she caught the last look of her soulmate's smile from the top of the mast, the rogue wave struck, and the mast collapsed._

"NOO!" Risa bolted up from her sleeping position on the log chair, sweat trickling down from her temples, cooling her body as they evaporated thanks to the cool morning breeze.

"Bad dream?" She looked to her right to find Sayu already staring at her.

"Don't you have a rehearsal to attend?" Risa replied nonchalantly.

"We're supposed to be celebrating Aichan's birthday. Don't you remember? The entire Hello Project would be here anytime soon. We're all on vacation leave for this month"

"I must've fallen asleep, Sayu" Risa yawned as she scratched her head.

"You've been sleeping here ALL NIGHT" Sayu raised her voice, more in incredulity than plain rudeness.

Taking a seat next to her senpai, she touched Risa's hand "What's wrong, Gakisan? You haven't been yourself lately"

"How do YOU know that? You're hardly around these days" Risa lowered her eyebrows, withdrawing her hand from Sayu's warm one.

"Ikuta tells me you've been taking walks late into the night...but THIS...It's not normal to do this, Gakisan...you're not the only one who's hurt" the bunny lowered her gaze, her voice trembling.

"You don't have to be worried over nothing...cos I'm fine...I REALLY AM!...Now...I'm gonna go get some breakfast..." Risa quickly changed the subject, getting up, avoiding Sayu's gaze and headed back to the beach house.

At a local cafe, Ogawa Makoto and Konno Asami were catching up on their private lives as they ate their breakfast together in a long while. A knock on the glass window of the cafe near where they were seated, both the gokkies looked up to see Sayumi outside. Makoto signalled for Sayu to come inside and join them.

Makoto promptly ordered a coffee for her kouhai.

"What's wrong, Sayu? You looked troubled" Asami asked.

"I don't know, Kon-chan...I just had a brush with Gakisan just now" Sayu replied flatly. receiving her coffee and thanking the waitress.

"You fought with Gakisan?" Makoto arched an eyebrow..."I thought you guys were buddies"

"Well, we've been through a lot, Makocchan, ever since you both graduated...and as much as I hated to do this, I have to ask you for a favour" Sayu looked down on the table.

Makoto exchanged worried looks with the other gokkie, before addressing the bunny. "Shoot...you know I'd do almost anything for my kouhai..especially when she's now the leader of Morning Musume"

"She's been avoiding all of us, Makocchan...I can't even penetrate this ...this WALL she put up between herself and others"

"What's this REALLY about, Sayu?" Makoto stopped eating, realizing her kouhai is dead serious in turning to her senpais for help this time.

"Can you two please talk to her? We've been trying for quite some time since we arrived here and all we've got is a cold shoulder, or at best, lukewarm welcome from her. I sensed that she's keeping something from all of us"

"Wait...wait wait.." Makoto cut her kouhai off, holding a hand up.."What are you saying, Sayu?...You want us to spy on her?"

"Of course not, senpai..." Sayu looked up, look of determination on her face..."I just thought you could help find out what's with her...since you both always had that tight gokkie rapport...maybe she would let you in on what's REALLY bothering her"

"Why are you doing this, Sayu?" Makoto sighed, staring at the bunny.

"I'm worried about her, Makocchan...but I'm more worried for my members...if it turns out that Gakisan IS an unfit guardian, it's my responsibility as leader to see to it that Eripon is out of Gakisan's custody...even though I know it would in all likelihood hurt the both of them..but I'm gonna need both of your help..." Sayu poured her hearts out, and after a while, she was breathless.

Makoto and Konkon were both silent for a while. It was only in the following minute that it dawned on the gokkies Sayu's intentions.

"When you said Gakisan COULD be an unfit guardian, are you implying she's mentally unstable, or taking drugs?" Konkon asked the difficult question.

"Wait..." Makoto stood up.."I can't believe you two...THIS is CRAZY!" Makoto pointed a finger accusingly at Sayu. "We're talking about Risa-chan here! Sweet, dependable Risa! How COULD you! Leveling such accusations at her. Do you have any idea how much she sacrificed her own future to look after Ikuta after her parents were killed in that cruise liner disaster. She admitted to me herself that the only thing that gave her confidence is the fact that she has Aichan to fall back on...Aichan was her rock..and when she died, ain't it natural for her to be sad at this point...the anniversary of her birthday, or death too in this case"

Sayu rose slowly, her lips quivering. "I know how much they loved each other, believe me, I do, Makocchan...but I also know that if Gakisan refused to move on with her life, she will only drag Eripon down with her in perpetual despair...I don't want that, senpai" The bunny headed towards the exit of the cafe.

Before Sayu opened the door, she said. "I can only be one...don't you understand?...in all honesty, I can't be a leader of Momusu if I refused to do the right thing hurting my very close friend"

With the last comment, Makoto and Asami could only watch on as Sayu stormed out of the cafe and headed back towards the beach house, determined to busy herself with the decorations and the celebration preparations for the party that will take place later that afternoon.


	3. Chapter 3

"Miya, can you pull over to the road shoulder?" Maasa Sudo asked, her low voice booming from the back seat of the SUV as her hand soothingly stroke the back of Risako Sugaya.

"Are you ok, Risako?" Berryz Koubou's Captain, Shimizu Saki asked as she turned her head to look at the youngest member of her group from the front passenger seat. "You look kinda pale"

"I'm fine...just a little carsick, Captain"

"You know, Rii-chan. You don't have to go if you're unwell. We wouldn't even BE on this road trip if it weren't for our dear skipper here talking us into it" Miyabi Natsuyaki added as she turned the car inwards, slowing the vehicle down as it approached the road shoulder.

"YOU should be the one to talk!" the petite Captain retorted, slapping Miya's wrist lightly. "When you're driving like a madman yourself, as though you're flying a million-dollar fighter jet. No wonder Risako's getting carsick"

Maasa opened the door and Risako rushed out of the car, regurgitating whatever she just ate for breakfast outside on the road shoulder.

"Or maybe...could she be pregnant?" Miya said in a hushed voice, narrowing her eyes.

Saki rolled her eyes and look ahead on the road, both hands covering her ears mockingly. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that"

"Look, we all agreed on spending some time together before we begin our graduation concert, right? Well, except Momo, of course since she had that variety show working out for her. Plus, the timing couldn't have been more perfect since we also have this chance to drop in unannounced at Takahashi-san's birthday party" Yurina chipped in.

As Risako returned back to the car, Maasa reopened the door and noticed Chinami was still snoring at the rear-most seat. "Well, its nice to know that at least SOMEONE's enjoying the journey so far"

"OK, Miya. Let's step on it. Fukui-ken can't be that far off..maybe an hour more TOPS according to this map" Saki put on her cap and the car carrying the six Berryz members slowly accelerated and returned back on track on the country highway. 

"Mame!"

Risa turned around and came face to face with two of her oldest friends.

"Makocchin! Konkon!" She exclaimed, walking more bristly, barefooted on the warm sand. As soon as the two gokkies came close enough, the three converged in a tight hug for a long while, a testimony of how long it has been since she last met them.

"I'm so happy you both made it" Risa whispered, her voice breaking.

Makoto though detected a hint of sadness in the younger's voice. It failed to escape the talk show host and the NHK TV announcer that Risa's voice carried with it a sign that she was choking tears.

Breaking away from the hug first was Makoto. "Risa...is everything alright? You're crying"

The bean, realizing her tears now emerging from her eyes and lightly wetting her cheeks, held up a finger to wipe them off her face.

"It's nothing, Makocchin...I'm...I'm just too happy to see you both again after so long. We missed you" Risa said.

Makoto exchanged glances with Asami "We?" she asked.

Risa avoided looking at both her generation-mates "I meant to say..I missed you guys. But why are you here this early? The party's not until 3pm"

"Well, we figured you needed help with the preparations for the sandcastle building contest. The Musumes, WITH the help of the OGs, are SO gonna take this year's championship, you know!" Asami added.

"Not if we can help it, Niigaki-san!" Risa heard another familiar voice.

Turning her head around, she saw Shimizu Saki approaching the three gokkie members, accompanied by her own posse of Berryz Koubou members behind her.

"Captain!" Risa yelled.

"Berryz Koubou reporting for duty, Ma'am" Saki saluted her former Hello Project leader casually.

"You guys...you've grown up so much now" the bean clutched the shoulders of the Berryz captain. "How did you get here?" Risa looked beyond Saki's shoulder and noticed the absent member after counting them off.

Saki took the cue from the older "Momo couldn't make it, leader" Saki muttered with a look of regret. "Tsunku-san was kind enough to grant us a long vacation before we go on our final concert tour. So here we are..Miya was kind enough to drive us here after she passed her driving test last month. We're actually in the middle of a road trip"

"So I've heard.." Risa returned the hug from each Berryz member.

Saki then fished out a video cassette tape from her handbag, handing it out to Risa. "Momoko was sorry she couldn't make it because of work, leader.. but she did have a message recorded for you and er...Takahashi-san and party"

"I hope we can play this AFTER dinner's over, Risa" Makoto joked. "I for one would hate to lose my appetite"

"Well, you know Momoko..however irritating she could get, she wouldn't be Momochi if she was otherwise" Risa said dourly, smiling seemingly contentedly after being reunited with the Hello members. "And Saki, please stop calling me leader."

"You may not realize it, Niigaki-san..but you and Takahashi-san were more of a leader than I could ever hope to be..even if your own tenure was only just over a year" Saki smiled at Risa.

"Thank you, Sakichan" Risa turned to the others. "You girls being here means a lot to me...I'm sure Aichan would've been happy to see you all here again"


	4. Chapter 4

When Yajima Maimi and the C-ute members arrived at Mikuni beach, she was shocked to find out the contest have already begun.

"Looks like we're late again" Chisato sighed, her shoulders visibly drooping as she surveyed the surroundings.

"Hey, look..." Hagiwara Mai pointed towards the center. "Seems like Morning-san's Gokkies Team is really into it! Especially Niigaki-san. Kirei ne!"

"Well, they ARE the defending champions, Maimai. They've got a lot more at stake" Nakajima Saki added, turning around to find her leader missing. She looked all around her and finally she spotted the tennen C-ute leader, together with Suzuki Airi, begging Sharan-Q's Makoto, who was appointed referee, to let their team participate despite being more than 30 minutes late.

Nakky shook her head, looking at Mai, who in turn shrugged, before she heard a voice coming from not so far away.

"Man, it IS really YOU" the boy commented, his eyes glued to the sight of the pretty Fukuoka-born idol.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" Erina Ikuta replied, cocking her head to one side.

"You're Ikuta Erina...THE IKUTA ERINA" the boy muttered again. "Man, aren't you even lovelier in person"

Erina blushed, her cheeks reddening till it became as red as rose petals. "I'm not exactly the lovely one in Musume...but thanks for your compliments. It's sweet."

"Do you...do you mind if I get to know you a lil better, Ikuta-san?" the boy continued asking. "I'm...I'm.."

"You're leaving" Erina felt the strong grip on her forearm, looking at the owner of the intimidating voice, one angry Niigaki Risa who's look was apparently shooting daggers in the direction of the young teenage boy. "and YOU...you're coming with me" Risa pulled Eripon aside and dragged her past earshot of everyone who was participating in the sandcastle contest.

"What was that all about?!"Risa demanded, an arm on her hip. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"NOTHING! I didn't do ANYTHING" Eripon yanked her forearm free from Risa's grip. "He asked me if he could get to know me a bit..what's wrong with being friends?"

"There's nothing wrong with that...but you're forgetting, Erina...you're an IDOL" Risa raised her voice. "Aren't you forgetting that boy-girl relationships are BANNED for all Hello Project idols...are you REALLY itching to get SACKED just because some boy decided he wants to try something with you. For goodness sake, somebody from Friday could be out there! How can you be so naive!"

"But he didnt. God, Niigaki-san...don't you have any faith in me anymore? And who gave you the right...You're not even my MOM!.." Erina felt her cheek slapped hard when Risa's right hand landed on it. Warm tears were emerging from her eyes.

Risa could only stand there staring, watching as the figure of her sobbing kouhai retreating away from her.

LATER THAT NIGHT

The Karaoke battle after the cake-cutting was fast wearing Risa out, despite the night still young, and the fact that she had already passed over the opportunity to participate in it, fending off appeals from her younger members to sing "for old time's sake". She sighed as she watched a half-drunk Sayashi Riho belting out Ai's lines in "Kono Ai Wo Kasanate". Erina was seen on the couch talking intensely with her close friend Mizuki Fukumura.

"Not too bad, eh?" Asami Konno, who had a knack of sneaking up on her peers undetected during her Musume days, her voice took Risa by surprise. "Riho-chan's voice kinda reminds me of Ai's when she was much younger..sure brings back those voice lesson days we had under Sugai-sensei"

"Unn" the bean could only reply flatly. "That's because she's not drunk from drinking cider. Nobody ever does"

Asami looked at her cup, and then looked up at the bean. "Are you saying the punch is spiked?"

"I had a feeling someone's responsible for spiking even the cider concoctions" Risa scanned around the living room. Her eyes met Kudo Haruka, who's mouth parted slightly and hurriedly turned her head to look elsewhere, finding Suzuki Kanon ostensibly to strike a casual random conversation with the nearby Kyuuki member.

Konkon's eyes flitted from Haruka's and then back to Risa's.

"I can't believe it" the NHK anchor "You're allowing the kids to get drunk?! Shouldn't you be doing something about it?" Konkon whispered again to Risa's ears.

"They've had a hard time being kids, Konkon" Risa patted her generation-mate's shoulder. "I'll let it slide just for tonight...and hope tomorrow, somebody WILL learn a lesson first-hand on the effects of alcohol on her fellow members"

Risa then said, grabbing her sweater. "I'm gonna take a walk outside"

"What's wrong, Risa?" The figure of Ai came sauntering from the darkness.

"Eripon hates me, Aichan" Risa stared at the moonlight reflected from the ocean surface, sitting down on the sand in her jeans.

"Bullshit. She's the last person in the whole world to hate you" Ai hung an arm around the bean's shoulder. "You know that"

"I dunno anymore, Aichan...I don't know how to raise a teenager as her guardian...I don't know if I'm even strong enough.." before Risa could continue, Ai sealed the bean's lips with her index finger.

"Don't say that. You know that's not true" Ai said seriously. "You're the strongest person I've ever met. Remember I told you once that the only reason why I lasted as long as I did as leader was because I had you by my side?"

Ai squeezed the bean's right hand. "It's still true, you know?"

Risa could scarcely contain her emotions, her tears were now threatening to fall as she sniffled, choking on them. "I can't do this anymore, Aichan. After you've gone, we're both drifting apart..I...I can't see what's beyond the horizon anymore"

"You think I did?" Ai replied. "Do you know how scared I was when we both agreed to take joint custody of Eripon after she became an orphan? It was nerve-wrecking for me, even more for me than you, Gakisan...but I wasn't worried because I had you..When I saw how determined you were...when I see that look of love you had for Ikuta...how can anyone say no?"

Ai sighed, a long moment passed before she finally said. "Do you remember our promise, Risa?"

Risa wiped her tears again. "Should anything happens to either one of us..."

"Eripon comes first" Ai finished for the bean, looking at her with love in her eyes. "Oh, Risa...how I missed you"

"You know..."Risa carved up a small smile. "Considering how you've made me feel like I'm a total asshole tonight, I have to give you some payback right now?"

"You mean...me for being stubborn?" Ai winked at Risa.

"No! For not listening to me when I asked you to come down that mast" Risa raised her voice in mock-frustration.

"Not if you can catch me first!" Ai replied, getting up as fast as she could and running away from Risa.

Risa got up and chased after the former gokkie. "Give it up, Aichan...you're never gonna escape from me this time!" She navigated around the boats on the shore, trying unsuccessfully to corner Ai.

When she finally came through a dark corner where she had seen Ai disappear into, she started breathing heavily. She squinted her eyes past the bushes. Only one figure was there looking straight at her, unmoving. It was that of Ogawa Makoto.

"Risa...is everything REALLY OK?" Makoto swallowed a lump in her throat as she emphasized those words. Risa could only stare at her Gokkie generation-mate, dumbfounded.


	5. Chapter 5

"Sorry, I'm late, guys" Kamei Eri apologized to the two MM seniors, hurriedly putting her handbag on top of the kitchen counter. "I hope it's not too late to join the party"

Sayumi smiled widely as she set the table, loading tray after tray of the dinner about to take place. Saki Shimizu and Maimi Yajima, sitting on the sofa nearby, peered in the direction of the newcomer and nodded to the former Musume.

"Not at all, my dear Eririn. We're just about to serve dinner" the bunny clutched the turtle's arm, giving the older a quick peck on the cheek. "I miss you, dear"

"Can you two take this mushy, lovey-dovey thing of yours elsewhere...I kinda lose my appetite already" Aika complained as she passed the yakiniku to Maimi and Saki.

Eri beamed widely, her cheeks reddening. "And I miss you too, usagi-chan. Speaking of which, whatever happened to the other third of our Rokkie gang?"

Sayu sulked. "That yankii...she can't even take a day off, at the very least, she could've made some effort to meet her old friends"

Eri gave a pained expression "It's ok, Sayu...I'm sure she's got a good reason to miss this year..you know how she is...she never found it ridiculous to be celebrating Aichan's birthday..maybe she just finds it depressing, that's all"

"If you count getting high on drugs a good reason, that is" Sayu replied dourly.

"WHAT?!" Eri yelped. "Are you serious?" the turtle's eyes flashed and went wild.

"I'm joking...doesn't anyone have any sense of humour anymore?" Sayu retorted.

"So, what's cooking, guys?"Asami interrupted them. "It smells really good from over there"

"It's sure to taste even better, Kon-chan" Aika replied triumphantly. "The spices on this roast beef is from the Mitsui family recipe..handed down from generations before me. You're gonna love it"

"OK..ok..let's get down to dinner already...I'm starving" Ayaka Wada added, her Smileage members nodding in unison. The Smileage leader was still finding it difficult to wriggle her way out of Nakanishi Kana's clingy display of affection.

"Ahh! Gakisan!" Eri shouted as she watched the other tsukommi half of the GakiKame duo enter from the other backdoor.

"Nice to see you too, Kame...now...let's all eat, shall we?"

"So what's your plan after Berryz's official graduation, Sakichan?" Eri asked.

"I haven't given much thought about it, Kamei-san. But I was thinking of enrolling into a course in university" The Berryz captain replied in between chewing her food. "I reckoned I've saved enough to get me through 3 years of college"

"Ehh..." Eri remarked.

"That is SOOO like you,Eri... the Aho-Kame...some things about you just never change" Sayu teased the turtle. "You still don't have a clue, don't you?"

"So long as the course of study isn't Art...I think you'll be fine, Saki" Maimi jabbed the shorter by the rib as she took another mouthful of pasta.

"HEY! Watch it!" Saki retorted. "You should be the one talking, Maimi"

The young ones laughed hysterically. Kamei just kept quiet, knowing her Artistic skills were no better than Captain's.

"I think it's good to finally have this weight lifted off your shoulders..knowing we have just one final tour before we each go our separate ways" Chinami added.

"I know what you mean., Chii-chan.." Chisato replied. "But it's gonna be sad..and weird...not to see Berryz in Hello concerts anymore. Then again...look at Momo..she seemed to be doing pretty well ..really sparkling on that variety show of hers"

"Agreed. I would'nt worry too much about it too, senpai" Maasa continued "I feel that we're each destined to move on with our lives at some point or another...come to think of it...Hello Project is just another stage in our lives...but the friendships we've made here will definitely last till the day we die...or at least, I want to see it that way"

"Well, that IS TRUE" Makoto gave her 2 cents..."Credit to our kouhais here for handling it so well, and being really optimistic...I mean.. SOME people do find it difficult...to move on with their lives" the TV talk show host stared at Risa. "Isn't that true, Gakisan?"

The older Hello Pro members, former and current, followed Makoto's glance, looking at Risa directly. An awkward silence ensued.

"I'm sorry..." Eri held up a hand, unable to read the atmosphere. "Am I missing something, here?"

Ikuta bowed her head down, Mizuki's hand holding hers and giving it a tight, assuring squeeze.

"Yes" Risa said plainly. "But as long as you remember what matters most, you'll be fine"

"Do YOU, Gakisan?" Makoto pressed on, as the other Hello members kept mum and watched the 2 Gokkie's verbal exchange while chewing their food slowly. "Do YOU know what MATTERS most?"

"Mako-chan, what do you mean? Why are you interrogating Gakisan like this?" Sayu cocked her head to one side, putting her fork down as she looked to the elder gokkie for an answer.

"Ask her yourself, Sayu" Makoto fixed her gaze directly at Risa, not once turning her head to face the bunny when answering her question.

"Ask her why she had been taking walks deep into the night. Ask her why she was chasing after apparitions and talking to herself, BELIEVING all this while she was talking to Aichan"

Risa fought hard to keep her tears in, putting her soup spoon down. "Is that what you think, Makochin? You think I'm crazy?"

"That's not what I said" Makoto kept an even tone.

"But you IMPLIED IT! Admit it...in your mind, poor Risa's lost her marbles..talking to the ghost of Takahashi Ai..poor RIsa could'nt get on with her life all because of a tragedy which left the only soulmate she was blessed with in this world DEAD" Risa stood up and faced Makoto from across the table.

"Oh ...my ...God" Sayu exhaled.. "Is this true?" Sayu then faced the bean who had tears streaming down her cheeks.. "Gakisan?"

"YES, IT IS!" Risa yelled suddenly. "Every night I was out there..outside. And you know what? Every night that I was there with Aichan..TALKING to her...I felt my troubles melting away...for that part of the day...I was TRULY HAPPY!" the bean pointed at the direction of the beach. "Does it REALLY matter if she's not really there? Does it really matter even if it turns out it was all in my mind?"

"Gakisan" Eri Kamei stood up and approached the bean, her tone soft and gentle. "I believe I speak for the Rokkies when I say that we're worried for you because we all love you"

"What do you know about MY loss, Eri?" Risa retorted. "What do YOU ALL know?" the bean looked around the long table, scanning each and every Hello Pro members who were silent.

"Like I said day before yesterday..you're not the only one hurting, Gakisan" Sayumi's tone was firm but even. "I know it how much it would hurt you...but knowing this now, I can't let you drag Eripon down wallowing in sorrow and self-pity"

"STOP IT, PLEASE!" The rest of the members were jolted by the outburst coming from a young teenager, their eyes suddenly locked on to Ikuta Erina, who stood up and yanked her left hand from Mizuki Fukumura's.

"None of you ever get it, do you?! Not a single one of you!"

"Eripon.."

Erina choked her tears as she stormed out of the dining area, racing up the stairs to her room.

"What have you done..." Risa said, her shoulders drooping, feeling defeated.

"I'm sorry, Gakisan.." Sayumi apologized. "As much as I hate doing this, I have to do it..for Eripon's sake and well-being. I'm going to the lawyers day after tomorrow to file the papers to relieve you of your custodial duties as Eripon's guardian"

Risa's mouth hung open. She felt as if she was kicked in the chest multiple times after she's taken down by a blow to the head. Risa shook her head, her lips twisting in an effort to contain her grief "No... you can't do that"

"Please, Gakisan...this is for the best" Makoto finally broke her silence, her tone of voice soothing.

"I can't believe you were all plotting against me now..." Risa looked at Makoto, then to Eri and finally, Sayumi. "Some friend you all are!" With that parting shot, the bean grabbed her windbreaker and stormed out of the house, leaving the dinner table with a gloomy atmosphere hanging and the occupants bereft of any appetite to continue with their meal.


	6. Chapter 6

"Can I see you for a moment, Makoto?" Ogawa found herself dragged unceremoniously into a corner of one of the master rooms of the TakaGaki House. Konno Asami wore an expression of disgust on her face, so uncharacteristic of the normally-gentle, quiet Gokkie.

"What is it, Konkon?" Makoto replied nonchalantly, refusing to look the NHK announcer in the eye.

"No. YOU tell me what THAT was all about!" Asami said angrily. "Risa-chan does not deserve to face that kind of HUMILIATION from ANYONE...much less from the Gokkie member whom she had once declared as her sworn sister...especially in front of all her Hello Project kouhais!"

"You don't understand, Konkon" Makoto begain.

"REALLY?! And what part of any of this do you reckon will be so hard for me to understand, huh?...what you did just now was UNCALLED FOR...and YOU KNOW that!" Asami clenched her fist, suddenly consumed in a fit of anger at Makoto's seemingly lackadaisical attitude. "The least you could've done was to confront her outside...why do you have to bring it up on the dinner table...that was totally beyond my understanding"

"Believe me, I tried" Makoto looked down on the floor. "I tried ok, Konkon...but she...she lied to me...even after all that...after having someone discover this...habit of hers. She still pretends she's ok!"

"But that doesn't justify what you did at the very least" Konkon folded her arms. "Do you know for a fact if she had been physically abusing Eripon lately?"

Makoto could only shake her head slowly.

"Then why did you do this? Why?" Asami tried coaxing the truth out of the fellow Gokkie. When her question was further met with a long deafening silence, she sighed.

"I don't think I know you anymore, Makoto..." Konkon said as she walked towards the door. Before leaving the room, she could only mutter softly. "I'm ashamed to be your friend"

Makoto watched the figure of the gokkie disappear down the hallway as her eyes were brimming with hot tears. She opened the door to the attached bathroom and entered it.

"Risa..." she mumbled to herself as a half-forgotten memory took its hold at the edge of her consciousness, reliving that day once again:

_She saw the bean lying in the empty bathtub, fully clothed. Kneeling down, Makoto slapped the cheeks of the unconscious Niigaki Risa. She shook the bean's shoulder. No response. And while the older 5th Gen member started to carry the bean out of the tub, a small plastic cylindrical case dropped out of her hand's grip. Makoto rested Risa's body on the nearby bed and came back inside the bathroom to pick up the small canister. To her horror, studying it, she found the last 2 sleeping pills dropping out of the half-open canister. And then, she cried. In between those sobs, she stolidly mustered the strength to call the ambulance. Then, she cried again, begging the bean to stay with her._

_"It's all ok, Risa...it will all be ok...I'm here for you... don't go...please...don't leave me, sister"_

She experienced that fear all over again..it became all too real for her even now. And how helpless she had felt. Makoto knew she could never bear to go through what she went through a year ago, ever again. And as the guilt and the fear brought her to this place again, her knees weakened and she let her back lean against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall. Her knees finally gave way as the once-confident figure of the talk show TV host slumped down inside the bathroom, her body trembling as she sobbed like there was no tomorrow.

Risa walked all the way to the lighthouse. Throughout the journey, she kept calling out Ai's name.

"Aichan..., where are you?.. I need you...please...come out and talk to me..." Risa twirled around, hoping for the slightest silhouette of Takahashi Ai to appear in the dim moonlight on the sand, but found nobody around for as far as her eyes could see.

"I'm here, Risa" Risa turned around and came face to face with the former MM leader. "You know where you can always find me, right?"

Risa pointed towards the house they used to share together...the house Ai's grandmother left behind for them before she passed on. "They think...they think I'm crazy, Aichan. They think I'm losing it...because every night I'm out here talking to a ghost of you" Risa wiped the tears with her right hand, her hair all disheveled.

Ai smiled "What Do YOU think, Risa? Am I really a ghost?" the older then suddenly trembled. "Now, that would be scary...you know how much I hated those haunted houses...but now...being a ghost myself...thats..."

"Is this a joke to you?" Risa cut her off, staring straight at Ai, clearly furious.

Ai's smile melted away gradually, tilting her head to the right as her finger caressed the left cheek of the bean's, wiping a lone tear that fell.

"Do you want me to go, Risa?" Ai asked her soulmate.

Risa buried her face on the older's chest as both her arms wrapped tightly around the older's slim waist. "Don't go, Aichan... Please don't leave me...I need you.."

Ai whispered softly in the bean's ears..."But I'm clearly not helping you this way, Risa..."

As Ai broke apart from the hug, she leaned forward towards the bean, lips touching the younger's. Risa had her eyes closed as she tasted those luscious lips again.

Then, all too soon, she felt nothing...nothing but the emptiness in her heart.

"Go away!"

Fukumura Mizuki was greeted with the angry reply. "Look, if you're not gonna let me in...at least talk to me from here"

"This has nothing to do with you, Mizuki"

"I know, Eri...but please don't take it out on me...I have feelings too, you know?"

Mizuki sighed as a wall of silence stood between the two kyuuki members. Giving up, she turned her back to the door, but not before it suddenly opened. Mizuki turned around to see her best friend's eyes were all red from crying out loud. She had never seen Erina this way...but she had seen that look before on another close friend of hers back from Tokyo.

"Oh my God, Eri...are you in love? Is there a boy walking into your life?"

Erina kept quiet as she opened the door wider, an invitation to the older-by-1-year doki member to enter her private sanctuary..

It was to be a long night for the both of them...

"I'm sorry...I couldn't help but to eavesdrop on you, Niigaki-san" Risa was sitting on the breakwater when the low voice of Sugaya Risako awakened her finally to her senses.

"Rii-chan..."

"For what it's worth, senpai...I know how you feel right now..." The youngest Berryz looked down sheepishly. "Well...kinda...I guess"

"Why are you here, Risako?" Risa looked at the younger, her eyes kind and concerned.

"I wish...I wished I had a love as strong as the one you had between you and Takahashi-san, senpai..Well.." Rii stuttered. "I wouldn't even be in this predicament if I had as strong a resolve as you two had"

"Predicament?" Risa held the berryz member's hand. "Are you ok?"

"Truth is, senpai...I'm.." she stuttered again. "I'm pregnant"

Risa gasped. "Your parents know about this?"

Risako continued looking down "They knew...eventually...but none of the Berryz members had any clue what was happening to me"

"My God...how did they take it? Your parents, I mean"

Risako sighed again. "They wanted me to abort the baby. They almost talked me into it, senpai...that is...until I saw what happened tonight...with you, and the other OGs"

"Risako, if you're looking for a role model, you should be looking somewhere else..not here" Risa looked away, her eyes drifted into the now-invisible horizon.

"That's not what I meant.." Risako paused, a thought flashed in her mind as she tried making sense of her words. "I mean...what you're doing inspired me somehow..."

"Inspired?" Risa raised an eyebrow..."How is a senpai who was caught red-handed talking to a ghost could possibly inspire ANYONE?"

"This episode taught me love is worth fighting for, senpai. I realized I would be doing a great sin going through this abortion..killing an innocent life which could well have been the love of my life...the labour of my love. Love should be unconditional..enduring. Losing it is painful as having it makes Life sweet...it could hurt as much as it could heal. I just wished you could've looked at who might be affected by the decisions you make..the major ones in your life, senpai...you clearly took nothing for granted...except maybe..."

Risako continued. "What I meant to say, I guess...was that its clear to me now that this child inside me is innocent...in the same way as Ikuta-chan is an innocent party in all of this"

Risako leaned in closer to her senior. "In you, she saw herself, Niigaki-san...and in her, you see yourself as you once were. If that's not parenthood, I don't know what is..."

The younger then excused herself..."Well, I better turn in now, senpai...good nite..jaa ne"

Risa smiled at the Berryz Koubou's youngest member, waving a hand at Risako...She mulled over what was said between them. As hard as things stand right now, she realized she had to make a choice...a painful one...but nonetheless still a choice...


	7. Chapter 7

"Gakisan" Risa turned around and saw the silhouette of Kamei Eri approach her. "Why are you still here? It's freezing out here. Come on...come back to the house with me".

"Kame.." Risa replied. "I thought you should've been in bed by now"

"Though I've always had this sleepy-head-turtle image back in my Musume days, I'd like to think I've changed, Gakisan" Eri sat down next to the bean. "A lot...it all thanks to you". She turned and looked at Risa.. "Now I'd like you to stop avoiding my question, if you don't mind"

"This lighthouse meant a lot to me, Eri" Risa explained.

"Really? Why?"

"This was where Aichan and I had our first kiss" Risa had a faraway look in her eyes.

"Ehhh..." the turtle mumbled. "You never told us that before"

"Well, that was a LONG time ago...back before you Rokkies joined the group" Risa replied.

"Sou desu ka"

"It was on a night like this, nearing the end of summer and we're about to welcome Fall. She thought it would be a good idea to invite me here to Fukui after the favour I did showing her around Yokohama" Risa hugged herself, a reminder of the cold entered her mind as she recalled the magical moment. "Ever since then, this place...Fukui, and the Takahashi house,... I just couldn't let go of them or leave them behind"

"Is that why you never even once visited Aichan's grave since the day she was buried?" Eri said gently.

Risa swallowed a lump in her throat, staying silent.. and Eri realized she had stepped on a landmine.

"I'm sorry I asked, Gakisan...If it bothers you so much, please forget I even asked"

"No...don't be. I guess, looking back..I was so afraid to let go, afraid that once I leave this house, this place...all those memories I've had with her will be gone..forgotten forever" Risa's voice was trembling as she said those words.

"Listen.." Eri began. "I felt really horrible at what I saw unfolding tonight. But Makochan didn't really meant for it to go that way...the whole thing...It just didn't come out right" Eri looked down, almost feeling guilty. "And...I'm really ashamed of what we did to you"

"You didn't do anything, Eri" Risa tried hard to carve out a small smile.."Maybe there is truth in what Makochin and Sayu said"

"But you wouldn't ignore or treat Eripon badly right? I know you wouldn't drag her down in perpetual despair like what Sayu claimed"

"Of course I wouldn't...not in a million years" Risa defended herself. "...but Eri...whatever that I did...I just can't get anything right..I just realized how much a failure I am when it comes to parenting" Risa revealed, looking up to the moon hanging high above the two of them, her mind drifting away.

"You know that's not true" Eri began. "I saw what you did for Eripon on Mikuni beach..you could've walked away, but you didnt...you faced the issue head-on in reminding her of her idol status and how not to screw up. That's tough love, Gakisan...the same tough love you gave us when you assumed your role as subleader. Sure, most of us kouhais didnt like it at first, but they've learnt to appreciate it after a while...and they will know and take it as a learning experience to grow..Eripon will eventually see it that way someday"

"In case you've forgotten, Kame...parenting and being a subleader are two very different ball-games altogether" Risa looked at the turtle.

"Maybe so..."Eri paused, gathering her thoughts. "But even when Aichan graduated, she left behind a legacy of a Morning Musume AND Hello Project which is really like a close-knit family, so very different from previous generations... Its almost like you two are the paternal and maternal figures to us...so can you imagine how proud Erina was when her former leader and subleader brought her into their lives, even if as their stand-in Mom and Dad" Eri looked at Risa and found tears welling up in the bean's eyes. "So you see...how different is that from parenting?"

"I guess" Risa replied.

"Just tell me one thing, Gakisan...one thing that I HAVE to know...please" Eri clasped her hands together, begging the Gokkie member.

"What is it?"

"Did you REALLY see Aichan out here? Did you really talk to her?" When Eri noticed that Risa was rolling her eyes in the dim moonlight, she groaned.

"I'm not answering that question...because I'm NOT CRAZY, Eri"

"I know...I know...but Gakisan.." Eri held the bean's forearm. "I wanna know if what you see is just in your mind...or did you..ahem...REALLY talk to her"

Risa held both her hands on her hips. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Cos I wanna talk to her too...if she appears next time" Eri blushed.

"You're weird, you know that?" Risa complained, getting up and dusting the sand off her jeans, turning in the direction of the TakaGaki house. 

For some reason, Ikuta Erina could not bring herself to sleep. Pulling the blanket up, she draped it over Fukumura Mizuki sleeping next to her. Then she noticed the door opening.

The shadow of a familiar figure came into the room. When it approached close enough for her to see who it was, Erina gasped. "Takahashi-san"

"Shh!" Ai put a finger to her lips as she grinned. "Wanna go for a ride? C'mon...it'll be fun" Ai motioned to the Kyuuki member to get dressed.

The two raced down quietly down the stairway and headed out past the door.

"C'mon...I'll race you...loser buys ice-cream, alright?" Ai grabbed one of the mountain-bikes and sped out on to the dirt track towards the main road. Erina, her heart pumping with adrenaline and joy, dashed to grab the other bike and pedaled furiously to catch up on her former leader.

When she finally caught up with Ai, she called out to the older. "Aichan...I missed you"

"I missed you too! So how about it? Let's race up that small hill before the fishing jetty..." Ai said as she pointed the sign on top of the resting place on the hill.

The two pedaled up the slope and on the down-slope, Ai challenged. "OK...no hands!" looking at Eripon.. "C'mon...do it...it's fun!"

"I feel the wind, Aichan...it's almost like I'm flying!"

"You are, Erina! You are!" Ai yelled back.

"Aichan!"

"What?!" Ai replied.

"I love you!" Erina said.

Ai then looked at Erina, their eyes met as the Gokkie leader gave the younger the sweetest smile. "I love you too, my dear.I'll always love you"

Then Erina saw lights coming from around the tight bend, and before she could grab the handle-bars on her bike, the truck rammed right through her.

"NOOO!" Erina screamed out loud. "Takahashi-san.." the Kyuuki started crying when Mizuki woke up and came to her side, hugging her generation-mate tightly.

"It's ok, Eri..it's just a dream...it's just a dream"

As Erina gradually calmed down, the lights on the hallway switched on and before she knew it, the elder members were already standing at the doorway.

"Eripon?" Sayu the MM leader came over and sat on her bed. "Are you ok? You just had a nightmare, dear..c'mon..let's go downstairs and I'll fix you some Cookies and tea ok?"

While waiting for the musume leader to make tea, Makoto and Asami observed the kyuuki from afar.

"Erina..." Asami broke the silence. "Is there anything you wanna talk to us about?"

"Tadaima..." Kamei Eri and Niigaki Risa opened the door, entering the house.

"What's wrong?" Risa asked when she noticed the suddenly-charged awkward atmosphere. "Erina? Is there something wrong?"

"She just experienced a nightmare, Risa" Asami explained, looking at Makoto, who was trying to keep herself out of the conversation.

Two minutes passed before Erina could barely speak again. When she finally did break the quiet wall of silence, her voice surprised all her senpais.

Erina looked intently at Risa.

"Niigaki-san..." She said softly, her tone gentle. "I think..." she stammered. "I think I want to stay with Michishige-san".

Risa sank down onto the dining room chair.

"Are you... sure?" She held the kyuuki member's shoulder with both her hands. "Is this what you really want? Or did they get to you?"

Erina paused. "I think it's...best if I came over to stay with Michishige-san..I... I still love you, Niigaki-san. But I need to get on with my life too"

Risa's dam holding her tears at bay fell apart and they fell freely down her cheeks. "If that's what you want, Erina" Risa said, her voice trembling as she choked on her tears. "You have my blessings"

Makoto, Asami, and the other members of the Musume family gathered around, their faces surprised but saddened at the episode unfolding before them.

"But before you go... I want to spend some time with you tomorrow..for the last time...is that ok?" Risa said.

Erina cried as she hugged her guardian. "I would have it no other way, Niigaki-san...I would have it no other way...because I'll always love you!"


	8. Chapter 8

It was almost half past three in the morning when Risa downed her 4th glass of hard liquor to take the edge off. The other 2 surviving Gokkies, her Rokkies kouhais and the others were already fast asleep in their respective rooms. Risa sighed, wincing as the strong alcoholic beverage burnt its way down her oesophageal tract.

"No matter how much I drink this stuff, I just can't believe what happened tonight. What the hell am I doing? God, what did I ever do to deserve this?" She mumbled to herself. Risa looked up in the direction of Eripon's room, surprised to see the lights were still on. She looked at the bottle again.

"So much for taking the edge off" Risa stood up and walked up the stairway, one hand steadying herself as she trudged on, swaying slightly as she tried to maintain her balance in her current half-drunk state.

"Niigaki-san...DAISUKI DAISUKI.. DAISUKI...DAISUKI...!"

"WOAAARRHHH!"

Instantly, she became sober again as her ears recognized the audio playing in the background of "Never Forget" coming from inside Erina's room. Risa opened the door only to find Eripon in blissful slumber.

She afforded herself a small smile, coming inside to discover the DVD player hooked up to the TV was playing back Erina's message to her during her graduation ceremony from her beloved group Morning Musume, ON CONTINUOUS LOOP.

She sighed as she reached for the remote and promptly switched off both the player and the TV set. Those memories were sweet to begin with, but were fast becoming more and more painful to her now. She wondered the irony of it all. Now, she desperately wanted to forget the old self she used to be.

Risa looked at the sleeping Erina on the bed. "I love you too, kid". She approached the KY musume and pulled up the blanket.

"Sweet dreams...my dearest" Risa's eyes were brimming with tears.

She leaned in and planted a kiss on Eripon's cheek, pulling away ever so slightly...only to find that some of her own tears have ended up on the Kyuuki's cheek, wetting it a little.

"Don't cry, Niigaki-san...I'll never leave you" The 9th gen member mumbled in her sleep.

Risa lowered her head down as she quickly made her way out of the room, switching off the lights.

Closing the door, she headed back down to the kitchen and saw the bottle at the counter again. The pain was getting too much for her as it is...maybe some more of that drink will help put her to sleep. 

"Ohayo, Sleepy-head!" Eri opened her eyes slowly to see the cheerful face of Michishige Sayumi in front of her.

"Go away!" the turtle groaned, pulling the blanket over her head when the bright lights from outside the windows streamed into the room as the Musume leader pulled away the curtains.

"C'mon...Bright and early...time to wake up, Eri!" the bunny grabbed hold of Eri's blankets and in one swift motion, pulled it off the turtle's body.

"Mou! Why can't anybody give me a break these days? I'm on vacation, for God's sake"

"Cos we can't miss this meeting, Eri" Sayu glanced a look at the turtle's image on the mirror as she was putting on her earrings. "You know that"

Eri scratched her head, eyes blinking slowly. "Do you think this is a good idea, Sayu?"

Sayu turned her head around and looked the turtle in the eye "What do you mean?"

"I mean...breaking them up...Gakisan and Eripon" Eri stared at her girlfriend. "After all they've been through...it doesn't feel right, you know? I feel guilty just THINKING about the part we're playing in all of this"

"Look, we've been over this before" Sayu said tersely. "You AGREED to back me up on this"

"After what I've seen on that beach, Sayu " Eri looked down at the bedsheet. "I don't know anymore..."

Sayumi folded her arms, looking unimpressed as she gave a hard look at the turtle, still clad in her pajamas.

"Fine...you wanna know what I think?" Eri began. "My heart is broken to pieces when I saw Risa-chan out there for myself. She really looked like she was talking to Aichan...like Aichan was REALLY THERE at that lighthouse with her. It wasn't as if its just Aichan in her mind that she kept alive. Even after she died, Gakisan never could let go of her one true love, Sayu..she's so afraid of losing those precious memories if she moved on and moved away back to Yokohama"

"What are you trying to say,Eri? You can clearly see she could NEVER be OVER AICHAN."

"Why is that so important as long as this routine made her happy? What I'm trying to tell you here is...Risa-chan stayed loyal and faithful to the person she vowed to live with for the rest of her life. She loved Aichan so much that she couldn't let her go even after her death...They..." Eri's voice was breaking now.

"They have a love that is truly enduring, Sayu" Eri held the bunny's hand. "A love that's perhaps something we'll never ever have"

Sayu's features softened, withdrawing her hand from Eri's touch. "Is that how you thought of us?"

"Look, Sayu..that's not what I meant" Eri stood up.

"If you ever think for one second my feelings for you will change...you're wrong" Sayu grabbed her handbag and stormed out of the room. "I'll be waiting in the car"

Eri sighed as she headed towards the bathroom, dragging her own feet.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey there... you ok?" Risa took her eyes off the road for a while, glancing briefly at Eripon.

The younger flashed a small smile at her senpai. "To be honest, I'm more worried about you, Niigaki-san"

Risa let out a soft sigh. "Look, it's gonna be alright. I just need some time to...straighten myself out. Gimme a few months and I'll be joining you back in Tokyo..then it'll be just like old times...only better... ok?"

Erina's face showed an expression of worry and sadness. "Is that a promise? Or are you just planning on getting rid of me after THOSE FEW MONTHS?"

"That's a promise, my dear" Risa let her left hand off the steering wheel, running it gently on Eripon's shoulder. "Now, no more questions on this subject, ok? We're here to spend the day together. It's not the time to be worrying about anything else"

Risa attempted to divert the subject by switching on the CD-player, which started playing the intro of "Onna ga medatte naze ikenai".

"I love this song" Erina mumbled. "Kinda reminds me of how Takahashi-san's voice sounded like, like the other night"

"Huh?" Risa lifted a brow, lowering the volume of the car audio speaker. "The other night?"

"It seemed so real, Niigaki-san" the 9th Gen member's eyes glistened at the memory. "It's almost like Aichan was there in my bedroom.." the kyuuki was about to continue when she noticed her guardian kept her weary silence.

"I miss her too..but I can't help but think of that dream as a sign that we BOTH NEED TO move on, Niigaki-san..or at least, that's Takahashi-san's way of tell me that"

"Didn't I tell you not to discuss this subject again?" Risa's low voice suddenly warned the junior, cutting her off. A gulf of silence separated the older and the current Musume as Erina switched off the CD player and looked down sullenly.

Erina was about to mutter an apology when her cellphone rang. "Moshi-moshi"

"WHAT? Where are you?!"

"Does he know where you are?"

Risa jerked her head towards the passenger seat as she heard her kouhai.

"Don't cry now...I'm gonna be there as fast as I can. I know...just find a place to hide" The kyuuki's breathing quickened as she frantically tried to reconnect the dropped call. Erina was at a loss for words.

"Talk to me...What is it! What the hell happened?"Risa queried, her tone impatient.

"Mizuki's trapped alone in TV Tokyo with a crazed stalker calling her cellphone. She sounded really petrified. We've gotta get there, Niigaki-san. We gotta get there before that sick bastard finds her and rapes her!" Eripon was delirious, grabbing the Gokkie's left forearm and yanking it off.

"Jeez...calm down, for goodness sake! Tell me the whole story" Risa braked the car gently, veering towards the road shoulder on the left.

"We don't have time, Niigaki-san...We HAVE to get to Tokyo now!" Eripon was now in tears, her eyes pleading to tug at the emotional heartstrings of Niigaki Risa.

Risa realized there was no more time to waste and it was futile to argue with the stubborn kouhai. She took a deep breath and gathered her jumbled thoughts.

"OK..here's what we do...call your leader and tell her we're on the way to TV Tokyo headquarters and she has to join us there as soon as possible. Tell her and Kamei-san they HAVE to drop everything else today. Then, I want you to call the police. We never know if we could be walking into a hostage situation down there. You hear me?" Erina nodded.

"Good, I'm gonna take a short cut to Tokyo city centre" Risa shifted back to the first gear, turning the car around to join the opposite flowing traffic. Risa shifted to the higher gears fast as she could, accelerating the car rapidly from zero to 100 km/hr in just a few seconds as Erina called Sayu and then the Tokyo police.

Once Risa maintained the speed of her vehicle, her left hand held Eripon's right. "She's gonna be ok". Risa just hoped the white lie was bought by the younger.

"No, she's not. that psychopath's been harassing her the last few days, threatening Mizuki-chan that if she does not return his text messages, he will be personally paying her a visit at our workplace. If she reports this to the police, he swore that her family will pay the price"

Risa's eyebrows furrowed. "A few days ago?!" Her tone rising with anger. "And you're only telling me this NOW?!"

Erina avoided Risa's intense glare. She could only mumble meekly "You've gone through a lot the last couple of days. I guess I don't want you to be burdened any more than you already are suffering, Niigaki-san"

Erina started sobbing. "Remember when I begged you to let Mizuki spend the night at our place after the birthday dinner? Turns out that she was actually hoping to get away from that sick pervert. Apparently, he didn't give up. He waited for her to return to Tokyo"

Risa could feel her rising anger slowly melting away after hearing Eripon's confession. "My God" the bean wiped the sweat off her brow with her left hand as she learnt the dire circumstances faced by Fukumura. "What else did she tell you? Erina? "

Eripon shuddered as she recalled Mizuki's words. "Mizuki found out that He...he became obsessed with her since she joined Morning Musume. What she didn't realize at first was that he was closely watching her, sending her hidden camera pictures of her changing in the ladies..and...and"

"And what?!" Risa asked.

"Before long, Mizuki told me that she found a few of her panties stolen. She had no clue who the culprit was, until she received them back the following week in a brown envelope, torn and tattered, stained with dried semen"

Risa felt sick to the stomach, her heart going out to the eldest kyuuki. "I think I've heard enough...let's get this son of a bitch" The bean stepped on the accelerator pedal and the car surged ahead, well exceeding the speed limit of 100 km/hour. Her mind was muddled with so many issues, thoughts firing in the synapses of her brain, envisioning all outcomes from this episode, wondering what she would've done had she learnt the truth from Eripon earlier...what she would've done had she listened to the people who cared so deeply about her...Right now, she had to make amends...no matter what, she thought..she HAVE to save Fukumura Mizuki.


End file.
